Maandelijks archief: juni 2017

The future is unpredictable. Nobody knows what will happen 5 or 10 years from now. Yet, looking at past and current developments, it is possible to give it a try. It’s interesting to think about our future living conditions. The trend Sustainable Cities is about future of cities and how they will be sustainable and eco-friendly. So, how do we live in 10 years?

THE PAST

Historic developments show that people used eco-friendly materials to build houses, temples, vehicles etc. Of course, it was more out of necessity than a choice. Initially they used branches, wood, reed and straw to construct buildings, but these materials were replaced by stones found in nature and dried and baked clay due to a wet climate which can destroy the wooden rooftops. The soft brick, that was prevalent until the nineteenth century, could only be made with soft and elastic mortar. For waterproof walls, they made use of ‘tras’, a burned volcanic material that could have a brown or dark gray color (Meihuizen, 2011).

To move from one place to another, people used carts pulled by different kind of animals, carriages pulled by horses and boats. Country roads were generally in bad condition. Dirt roads were particularly difficult to ride on in the winter.

There was a first and a second transport revolution. During the first transport revolution George Stephenson built his first steam locomotive in 1814 and in 1816 Carl von Drais showed the very first bike. That was the beginning of a century full of new transport miracles. The second revolution refers to the period after the second world war, approximately between 1950 and 1990, with a huge growth of traffic, transport and mobility (Varenna, 2013).

THE PRESENT

Nowadays, we use different building materials. 3D-printing has become a big technical development, also in the living-sector. Mixtures of cement, sand, and plastic-polymers are the building materials. Pioneers of 3D-printed construction see numerous advantages: decreased costs, inventive architectural plans and simpler, sturdier houses will be built more quickly. The price is lower for homebuyers, too. The house Apis Cor built last December cost just over $10,000 (Alter, 2017).

The means of transportation have also developed over the years. Of course, there is the ‘normal’ car and the ‘normal’ train, but those are not eco-friendly. In order to strive for more sustainable transportation, electric transport is developed. On the 30th of April 2017, there were 117.502 electric vehicles on the road in the Netherlands, including 99.030 coach-and-fours (E-REV, PHEV) and 187 busses (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland, z.j.).

In the Netherlands the number of loading sessions of electric cars in has increased with 45% compared to 2016 (NU.nl, 2017).

This development has also led to lots of new job opportunities. Since January 2014, 2,669 jobs were created because of the emergence of the electric car, according to the research in the sector of e-mobility. By 2020 there will be 3400 more jobs available, if the amount of electric cars continues to grow (Middelweerd, 2016).

The electric car is a step in the right direction when it comes to sustainable transportation. But to take it a step further, students of the University of Technology in The Netherlands have built a sustainable car, called Lina, made out of flax (a kind of grass). This car can go up to 65 kilometres per hour (Ter Rele, 2017).

DD.com, 2017

An innovation like this can lead to more sustainable and ecological developments, which will be better for our planet’s survival.

THE FUTURE

So, now that we have learned about past and current developments, what will the future hold?

A Chinese-backed car manufacturer unveiled the NIO EVE. NIO EVE is an electric vehicle with level 4 autonomy that will probably be on the US market by 2020. The vehicle opens through a wide forward-sliding door. Inside, the NIO Eve will have lounge-like seating in the back, a folding table that can be used as a work or play space, a panoramic roof as well as interior glass that can double as smart displays. An artificial intelligence (AI) engine, NOMI, will control the vehicle in autonomous mode and is capable of learning user preferences.

Google.nl, z.j.

Connecting and self-driving vehicles will lead to safer and more efficient cities in the future. Numerous studies are already spotlighting the key advantage of self-driving cars: given that 95 percent of all traffic fatalities are the result of human error, taking humans out of the equation will ultimately save lives (Santens, z.j.).

With self-driving electric cars on the horizon, architecture and real estate will also be impacted. Existing structures like gas stations may disappear, or will need to be reimagined. Reduced congestion could give way to green spaces or pedestrian walkways as safety improvements eliminate the need for wide roads. Buildings will have to be designed for the constant flow of drop-offs and pickups (Peterson, 2017).

So, in addition to self-driving cars there will also be a solution for busy intersections. Researchers from MIT and ETHZ have invented smart junctions. Lanes of cars merge harmoniously allowing traffic to flow smoothly across intersections, resulting in fewer delays. Cars will use sensors to keep a safe distance as they navigate an intersection. In future cities, traffic lights will be replaced by these smart intersections (Griffiths, 2016).

MIT Senseable City Lab

Clouds Architecture Office has unveiled plans for a futuristic skyscraper called the Analemma Tower. The building will hover above the ground because it would be attached to an actual asteroid in space. The tower will be suspended via high-strength cabling from an asteroid and placed in eccentric geosynchronous orbit, which means that it would always be moving.

The tower could be made of durable and lightweight materials such as carbon fiber and aluminum.

Power to sustain the tower would come from space based solar panels with a constant exposure to sunlight. Water for the tower will be captured from clouds and rainwater.

The world’s craziest building concepts, 2017

Currently the proposal calls for the tower to be constructed in Dubai which has a long history of building tall and stylish skyscrapers. Over the years buildings have been growing taller and lighter. Resulting in a future of building breaking free from the surface, releasing from nature disasters (Potter & Willingham, 2017).

Personally, I am looking forward to the future if it’s going to be anything like this. Self-driving cars will be safer and buildings will be all about the experience and being self-sufficient. But, I am wondering if these innovative creations won’t make our lives too easy and perhaps even a bit boring, because a lot of things will be done for us. On the other hand, self-driving cars for instance will enable us to have more time to get some work done while moving from one place to another. What do you think?

Although luxury has always been around, it seems to be more important than ever. Luxury can be used to express wealth and riches. It can also contribute to a healthy lifestyle. But above all, luxury is a way to make things easier. So, what’s available? And what are the consequences of luxurious consumption? Keep reading to find possible answers.

WHY AND WHERE

One-third of the Dutch population says they are limited during every-day activities because of their health. According to researchers, especially older people have many health problems. For older people with health issues there are lots of products available to make life easier. Young people however are considerably less affected by health problems. Yet, there are so many ‘health’ products on the market that are also made for them. That makes the consumption of these products a luxury rather than a solution for a problem (ANP/NU.nl, 2017).

The ‘LVL’ wearable device is one of those luxurious consumptions. It’s a gadget that helps track one’s hydration level, heart rate, activity levels, mood, quality of sleeping and burnt calories. The wearable is meant to enable users to make better choices concerning their health by analysing data (Hemsworth, 2016).

Trendhunter, 2016

But is such a product really that effective? According to research done at Stanford university, a ‘smartwatch’ is not smart at all. They did tests with devices such as the Apple Watch, PulseOn and the Fitbit Surge. The research shows that the devices had a deviation of more than 20% from the actual use of energy (NU.nl, 2017)

Another luxurious product are the reflexology massage sandals. It’s completely normal for people to have jobs for which they have to stand and walk a lot. A foot massage can be very relaxing and pain-relieving for these people. The inspiration for these massage sandals was an ancient form of Chinese therapy. The sandals are embedded with natural stones to provide stimulation along main acupressure points in the feet that will improve the circulation of blood (Davis, 2016).

Trendhunter, 2016

To take luxury consumption a step further, there is the Samsung contact lens. Samsung has won patent for a contact lens with augmented reality. The goal of augmented reality is to seamlessly blend the real world and the virtual, which is done best without a headset. The lens will also include a tiny camera, motion sensors and a transmitter (Edwards, 2016).

Sensimed, 2016

The problem of luxury consumption starts with the companies that make them. Too much consumption can have a big effect on the environment. Over the past two decades, businesses have come a long way in their conversations about sustainability and climate change. Many companies now have strategies for sustainable and eco-friendly measures. These strategies are admirable and progressive, but the World Resources Institute says that businesses are failing to address the idea that consumption can continue unchecked in a world with finite resources that are already tapped to the max (Martinko, 2017).

Although the previous mentioned ‘signals’ are meant to highlight the need of people to consume more luxurious stuff than they actually need, sometimes it really is necessary to use ‘luxury’ to make health easier and perhaps even better than it currently is.

Technological developments are going to change every day healthcare. In the foreseeable future robots will be here to stay. Everyone can see that healthcare organisations are under pressure right now. People are getting older and there are fewer hands available to provide enough care. Care-robots can help with taking care of people. Care-robots regularly help doctors in doing research or surgical procedures. The Da Vinci robot is a robot used during surgery in which the surgeon performs the operation along with the care-robot. Another development is a more active role of the care-robots in the actual care and social interaction with patients. It is expected that the shortage of hands in the healthcare department will increase in the future, resulting in care-robots taking over some of the tasks that are now done by humans (Tim, 2017).

Another big technological help with taking care of people is Mabu. Catalia Health has developed the robot Mabu, a social robot driven by Artifical Intellegence (AI). Mabu is a robot with a simple but characteristic body and a tablet. Using this tablet he can adapt to the patients behaviour and preferences. Because the robot is AI driven, it can learn from the incoming data, resulting in the ability to anticipate (Toornstra, 2017).

Robotzorg, 2017

WHEN

People just want more and more, but when will it stop? When the earth is used-up and our children’s children can’t live on this planet anymore?

The World Resources Institute says “Most businesses’ growth is still predicated on more people buying more goods. The world will have more than 9 billion people by 2050, and the middle class will have swelled by 3 billion by 2030. A continuation of business as usual would mean not just a slight additional strain, but three times as much consumption of the planet’s already overused resources.” (Tim, 2017)

In order to reduce these amounts more companies have to become aware of the consequences in the long-term and make a real effort to solve the problem, especially when it’s about products that are not really necessary to improve a person’s health. Not only companies have to take measures into their own hands, also consumers have a very big responsibility in keeping the earth liveable. So, let’s stop excessive luxury consuming!

As to the matter of robots in healthcare; healthcare is becoming a combination of physical and virtual worlds. In addition, care is no longer a matter of professionals in an institutionalized setting, but is turning into open digital platforms which will give us the ability to medicate ourselves. When it comes to the future of robots we are afraid that robots will become too smart, but robots do not need to be smart in order to be effective. To optimally use robots, you need to have a robot friendly environment. That means reorganize and rationalize existing work processes. Current healthcare is in big need of a solution to make sure everyone gets the care they need in the future. However, using robots to do so will also bring the danger of de-humanizing healthcare (Robotzorg, 2017).

If you think about it, it isn’t that long ago that men were the only ones who had the chance to vote or go to university and women had to say home to look after their family. Women didn’t have the same rights as men did. Luckily, those days have changed. Most of us think we now live in a society where women are not seen as less compared to men, but do we really? Have we really evolved regarding this matter? The trend wo-men is about gender equality, and the lack of it.

THE PAST

Measures of gender equality include access to basic education, health and life expectancy, equality of economic opportunity, and political empowerment. Throughout history, women didn’t have these rights, which caused for intense discrimination. Women have long been viewed as less than fully human in many societies.

Sally Kitch, a Regents’ Professor of Women and Gender Studies at Arizona State University found answers as to why the world sees men and women so differently while exploring the gendered origins of race in American utopian communities. Race is imposed by historical, cultural and political processes and based on physiological characteristics. “The Europeans thought that cultures in which men and women weren’t that different in terms of their behaviour or appearance were uncivilized. That gave me the insight that racial characteristics really evolved on the basis of comparative gender characteristics,” Kitch says (Newswise, 2012).

In order for women to take a stand and gain equal rights a 1st wave of feminism appeared (1870 – 1920). Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony in the US and the Suffragettes led by the Emmeline Pankhurst in England were the key pioneers of ‘first-wave feminism’. This was a period in which women organized themselves into public and high-profile advocacy groups. They were campaigning for equality in property, economic and voting rights.

The 1st wave was followed by a 2nd (1960 – 1985) and 3rd wave (around 1990). In the 2nd wave women started targeting new objectives with their campaigns, such as discrimination in employment and education. The 3rd wave was about diversifying the path to gender equality, including women from black and minority backgrounds and lesbians (Wikigender,z.j.).

THE PRESENT

Gender inequality leads to detriments of their psychology of self-worth and self-dignity. Studies show that out of almost 1 million people from 48 countries men feel higher self-worth than women. The gap between men and women’s self-esteem seems larger in western countries. As to why this gap is bigger than in non-western countries is not yet clear (Dockrill, 2016).

Gender inequality can also lead to economic losses for a nation. Women constitute about 40% of the global work force, but there are also a lot of women who are unpaid family workers in the informal sector. Women who do work are generally paid much below the salary of a working man, despite being equally hard-working and capable. Furthermore, the status and promotion of women are limited to middle or below ranks, they have limited educational opportunity and they run smaller businesses. Due to these obvious restrictions, many countries experience loss of productivity that amounts to 25% due to gender discrimination(Kamrany & Robinson, z.j.).

Though-out the world, the degree of gender inequality vary. From rape and femicide to honor killing. Honor killing, a massive issue in a countries such as Pakistan, means that a female member of a family is killed because they dishonored their family (Kamrany & Robinson, z.j.).

Google, z.j.

About 2/3 of countries in the developing regions in this world have achieved gender parity in primary education, which means that 1/3 still haven’t. In addition, women only hold 30% of the seats in national parliament in 46 countries (United Nations, z.j.).

Sex-selective abortion is yet another major disaster of gender inequality as it fuels human trafficking, demographic imbalance, and sexual exploitation. Abortion has always been a difficult issue in America, but the decision of president Trump to implement the anti-abortion rule will have effect on women all over the world (Kikkert, 2017).

Elle, 2017

In 1973 women in America got the right to have an abortion. Republicans have always tried to end this rule and now Trump has achieved this goal by re-instating the Global Gag Rule. The Global Gag Rule ensures that all international healthcare organizations that assist women’s healthcare abroad will not receive any money if they perform abortions. This means that these organisation, who help lots of women in developing countries, won’t have the chance to provide them with contraceptives. The rule is also cause for lots of unsafe abortions, which can cost women their lives (Kikkert, 2017).

As a reaction to the continuing problem of gender inequality, there are national and international measures are at work against gender inequality. Even large enterprises do their part to eliminate this global problem. Nike is one of those enterprises.

Nike is known for their sports clothing and shoes. They have a long history of using campaigns to stand up for its values, such as respect and equality. Their new campaign EQUALITY, encourages people to take the fairness and respect seen in sport and translate them off the field.

Nike news, 2017

To drive change within communities, Nike announced their partnership with MENTOR and PeacePlayers International. MENTOR is a leading national organization in ensuring quality youth mentoring relationships and volunteers to opportunities in their communities. PeacePlayers International is a global organization that focuses on bridging divides in communities by developing youth leaders, building relationships and changing perceptions through the power of sport. The youth is the future, so complete equality could start with them (Nike news, 2017).

The fashion brand United Colors of Benetton is yet another organization that strives for women empowerment and equality. Their latest campaign is aimed at promoting gender equality in one of its leading global markets, India. The brand want to tackle the deep rooted social taboos still prevailed in India and other developing countries that see women less than men. The campaign is supported by celebrities and influencers which can lead to more acceptance by its customers (Hendriksz, 2017).

Fashion United, 2017

In February 2017 US President Trump stated that he wants well-dressed people around him. During his campaign he asked his staff members to dress accordingly. Which meant that men had to dress “sharp” and women had to “dress like women”. Lots of women were not amused by this statement. As a reaction, they shared photos of themselves at work dressed as ‘women’ (Meijer, 2017).

Elle, 2017

Unfortunately, these initiatives are not sufficient enough to eliminate gender inequality. There are still people (take the president of the US, Donald Trump) who are not concerned by the issue of gender inequality and do nothing to stop it.

THE FUTURE

To achieve more equality in the workplace people need to provide more equal pay and comparable value, barriers to the equal participation of women in de workforce need to be removed, women need to have access to all occupations and industries and discrimination based on gender needs to be eliminated (Australian Government, z.j.). But how do we do that?

Treating women less than men is a part of the traditions some communities have, especially in developing countries. So, it’s hard to eliminate these traditions. Previous stated campaigns by global enterprises are a start but its nog enough.

The collaboration of local communities, institutions, national authorities and international bodies is essential to influencing change and promoting the value of women. They all must act with respect to communication, education, leadership, and cultural norms and traditional values in order to shift the attitude and mindset of the population in favor of gender equality (Kamrany & Robinson, z.j.).

Education is where it all starts. Kids are the future of this world. They have to grow-up with knowledge and acceptance of gender equality in order for it to become ‘normal’ in the future.

Whenever I want to do something fun with my friends we often look for something that we haven’t done before. First, we take a look on the internet. Then, we ask the people around us for new and exciting ideas, because we notice that a lot of people around us also look for different experiences when they go out. From my own experience I find that a lot of the existing activities are not new and exciting enough anymore. We live in the age of the customer. Customers like to think they know more and therefore expect more. As customer expectations shift, companies are forced to adapt. Resulting in an Experience Economy.

WHERE

So, people are looking for new and more profound experiences, but where can you find them? Let’s begin small with the inflatable Irish pub. The American company Paddy Wagon Pub has created an inflatable Irish Pub to enable people to bring the pub to their party instead of the party to the pub. The largest version of the pub can hold up to 80 guests. Paddy Wagon Pub will provide booze, snacks, live music and even Irish dancers, anything to keep the party going. The inflatable Irish pub is a great way to bring the experience to the consumer (Hemsworth, 2016).

Trendhunter, 2016

Another new experience is the underwater museum near the coast of Lanzarote. It’s the first underwater museum in Europe created by the sculptor Jason deCairnes Taylor. The museum also serves as an artificial reef for fish and other sea animals in order to restore the ripped ecosystem. Everything about this museum evolves around the awareness of the ocean. “In times of increasing patriotism and protectionism, the wall aims to remind us that we cannot segregate our oceans, air, climate or wildlife as we do our land and possessions. The work aims to mark 2017 as a pivotal moment, a line in the sand and reminder that our world’s oceans and climate are changing and we need to take urgent action before it’s too late,” Jason says. So if you enjoy water and want to experience a new way of going to a museum, this is would be a great activity (Van Vugt, 2017).

NSMBL, 2017

If being active is not really your thing you can always go to the cinema. In this 4D cinema people can experience watching movies with many extra’s, including wind, rain, specials scents and moving chairs. The new movie experience will be available in Dutch Pathé movie theatres in the beginning of 2018 (Van Dijk, 2017).

RTL Nieuws, 2017

There is also a need for more intimate experiences. Sleeping next to one of the most famous paintings in history is one of those experiences. Dutch art teacher Stefan Kasper was lucky enough to win a night sleeping next to the Nachtwacht in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. He had the chance to look at all of the artwork from up-close with no interruptions. For him, it was a dream come true (NOS, 2017).

NOS, 2017

When it comes to shopping, people want more in-store technology tools to improve the experience.

According to a survey from Bouncepad (a company that sells tablet kiosks to big brands), about 78% of the 1000 consumers want businesses such as retailers, restaurants and hotels to do a better job of using technology. While 61% want self-service tools at their disposal rather than waiting for an employee to drive the experience for them. The American store Walmart is first on the list of best retailers that use technology in-store. McDonald’s is seen as one of the best restaurants that use tech tools on site (O’Shea, 2017).

Of course most of the experiences cost a lot of money. In The Netherlands, companies save a lot of money because of the innovation-rule. These innovative companies have saved up to 1.2 billion in total, which is 22% more than the year before. From 22.330 of the companies that applied for the measure, 97% is a small of medium-big business. The measure is designed to enable enterprises to innovate their approach to new ideas and their products (ANP, 2017).

THE FUTURE

Customer expectations in the future are the outcome of movements that have been underway for decades. Changes such as the explosion of digital and the acceleration of innovation are having a profound impact on customer expectations. The customer of the future will expect companies to know their individual needs and personalize the experience. Immediate resolution will not be fast enough as customers will expect companies to address their current and future needs.

Many companies are already laying the foundation for the future. To be relevant in the future, companies must focus on leveraging big data to create a single source of truth and making customer intelligence accessible throughout the enterprise. Companies must consider “insight generation” as a sales enablement function and emphasize proactive and personalized customer support to effectively grow and retain customers (Walker, z.j.).

Clouds Architecture Office has unveiled plans for a futuristic skyscraper dubbed the “Analemma Tower.” The building would hover majestically above the ground because it would be attached to an actual asteroid, in space, that is forcibly put into orbit around the Earth.

Gender equality may not be a right most fashion brands strive for, but women empowerment and equality is definitely a priority for Italian fashion label United Colors of Benetton. On International Women’s Day, taking place on March 8, the retailer is set to launch its latest campaign which is aimed at promoting gender equality in one of its leading global markets, India.

According to Van de Beek, from Stellingdames, the people in The Netherlands are “gender blind”. “We are still convinced that our country is very tolerant and that everything and everyone is equal. But the numbers tell a very different story. ”